Pix: Surrounded yet Alone. Veiled woman wearing a burqa in the ever-busy area of Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria trying to catch a bus.
Hijab: See Wikipedia definition here
During my varsity days, there was once a highly-touted drama performance called “Behind The Veil”. I never went to see it but from what I gathered, the drama took a critical look at the lives of women compelled to put on a veil.
Whenever I see women like the one in the pix I am always curious to know what goes on in the minds of such women constrained to mask their physical features from the rest of the world. I am astounded by their stoicism as they wear their all-black attire even under the heat of the harshest sunlight. I also wonder what makes a woman agree to what looks to me like the highest form of submission.
It’s even more puzzling and pathetic when I see the ones who also have children whom they zip into their backs like a reversal of kangaroo parentage.
A lot of questions also come to mind: Are they really very beautiful women or very ugly or illiterate as some people claim? In what circumstances - if any - are they permitted to take off the veil? What is the permissible degree of interaction with society they are allowed? If one of them wanted to travel overseas or run a bank account, how would they take passports? How do they undergo an ultrasound scan and how do the nursing ones breastfeed? What happens in the case of an accident? Is one allowed to touch them? Do they really see out of those openings?
Every time I see a woman wearing such coverings (like one who once sold me a SIM pack who was enclosed from head to toenail except for one ungloved hand) I am always tempted to start off a conversation with them but the fear of misunderstanding and gender holds me back. I guess they might only relate better to their fellow women that with us.
Men, in my view, are such selfish creatures. We make the women veil themselves to hide their beauty (inner or outer, imaginary or real) from the world and yet we go ahead to eye other women in their miniskirts and figure-hugging jeans. I once saw a man drive his fully-veiled wife to a park so she could get a bus to Kaduna. As she stood out there in the heat, alone on one spot, distant, cut off from the rest of humanity, watching her husband as he walked around freely chatting with the drivers and (obviously) eyeing other females, I wondered what thoughts ran through her mind. Did she envy us? Or was she totally content in her submissiveness?
I also wonder what would have been her husband’s reaction if he was informed that the rules had somehow been changed and he, this time would be the one mandated to wear the hijab…
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I wonder too
ReplyDeleteI want to believe that some of this women do not like this but they feel they must since their husband says so. Good question " how will they get the ultrasound done?"
I am not saying there is anything wrong with anyone's belief or culture, I just think the hijab is out of the line. There's an American company somewhere in the middle eastern country offering jobs women because their society still sees them as inferior. What amazed me was the fact that this women were all in hijabs but the job (safety rules)requires that they have no head gear or have anything hanging loose as it might not be safe for them.
this women work for hours with the scarf off and under supervision (cameras). Once the job is over, they step into the restroom, wear their hijabs and head home.
It is simply ridiculous.
There are lots of middle eastern people at my school (young gals). They wear the hijabs but they show half of their hair and they wear revealing outfits.
I think there is so much more "behind the veil" and i think it's unfair that people are forced to hide whom they really are.
thanks 4 the comments on my blog
ReplyDeleteCheck out www.speakup9ja.webs.com
tell your friends about it
i always wonder too about how they cope with the heat
ReplyDeletehaving said that, your post failed to recognise the fact that most of these women wear hijabs by choice and are not forced by men. yes, most of them, so i see it as a certain strenght of discipline cos it is so much easier to follow the rest of the world
y do they wear those things anyway....its too hot in the mid to wear them.
ReplyDeleteMen this women are beautiful women but it's a shame what religion fundamentalism makes us do. I hope for a better world
ReplyDelete@ Olamild: Thanks for stopping by mine too. Sorry, but Blogger has been messing up my settings that's why the post came without a pix at first.
ReplyDeleteInteresting facts about the women workers and the ones in your school. I wish I could get to REALLY know the women behind the veil myself, mostly the reason why I wrote the piece in the first place.
PS: About to check out the link.
@ Jinta: You mean some of these women willingly wear these things? I had NO idea!
ReplyDelete@ Kin'shar: My sentiments exactly...
@ Standtall: Glad to hear some of them are beautiful. Someone once told me it's the really ugly ones that cover up.
I doubt if Jinta is right about his conculsion.I know his is a man's rights defender but I was once a muslim. Who are the religion custodians that will preach to you how to behave or worship God? The men of course. So, the women know by what they have being told by these men that lead thier religion on how to dress. I can go on and on. But Jinta is not right to say Most women chose to. The once that chose to dont go covering up completely like this except their husbands made it compulsory...
ReplyDeleteLOL!
ReplyDeleteyou beta be careful about talking to those islamic ninjas before someone declares a 'fatwa' on your poor head
Though I'm a muslim, I dont like the way those women cover up, looks weird and stupid to me.
ReplyDeleteEvery religion has its own misconceptions. The misconceptions are due to the way each religious sect interprets their own belief.
The misconceptions in Islam are the cause of the disagreement in Islamic festivals. It is this same misinterpretation that are making some women put on veil while some men wear 3/4 pants. They are only practicing the culture of the Arabs while claiming that it is an Islamic injunction.
@ Everyone: Hey! I'm just stating my views here concerning what those women have to go thru by covering themselves from the rest of the world! Abeg, no fatwas on my head oh! Before I become the next extinct blogger!
ReplyDeletePS: Anyone who doesn't take this discourse too kindly should please focus on the disclaimer...
I will confess that I do not understand how hijabs are worn in the heat. But, that being said, I know that many of the women who choose to wear them do so because they feel it is part of the religion and I cannot question that choice.
ReplyDeleteBut, it would be interesting. if some men were required to wear a hijab of sorts as well.
First time here. Great blog!
NIGERIAN CURIOSITY
IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER WHEN I ONLY HAD ONE...
i heard they are freaky......well some of dem. any truth?
ReplyDelete@ Standtall: I agree about most religious custodians being men but something that happened to my mum last 2 years made me wonder. Poor mum had just come back from the U.S. and decided to rush into church to thank God for the safe trip when a woman barred her from entering the church because of her trousers. Needless to say, it spoilt the church experience for all of us. I know many churches permit trousers but sometimes the ushers and enforcers of the religious dress codes are the women themselves. Just my 2 kobo...
ReplyDelete@ Esquire: The Religion vs Culture debate rears its head in virtually all religions. The avenues for misinterpretation are usually left way too wide.
@ SSydelle: Thanks for dropping by and for the compliments. I feel honoured! I wonder about the heat everytime I see this most especially because of the present weather. Jinta's statements (which you corroborated) makes me see things from a different perspective. Had to read the Wikipedia article in detail to find out that there are different styles/meanings/teachings concerning the hijab and in some cultures, certain types of dressing are taken as hijab for men!
@ dada luv: Freaky is in the eye of the beholder (LOL)
Naughty Eyes: hmmm good point. I know some women do that but look about how they embrace the protection of their beliefs, it's because they custodians said so and they embrace everything without question.
ReplyDeleteI was a muslim and even now that a Xtian, I question a lot of dos and donts that I hear on daily basis
SSD: A lot of the women that waer coverall hijab that covers their faces are called "Eleha" in Nigeria.
These women have to cover all thier faces because they are married and their husbands said. How many of these is their actual choice? I know of those that use hijab with nice attire they wear out of choice that I cant question
Let me give you a brief info about "O.A.U puddah saga"> I went to the university and I was amuslim then. Suddenly the very fundamentalists brothers started converting the female students who are muslims to coverall users. They would come to the university all covered with thier face. It became a big issue in the school. They started marrying the sisters afterwards and also advice some of them to drop thier proffessional courses like medicine, law for any less demanding ones. Hmmm, this started like 8 yrs ago and i wonder where they are on this today
A parent that didnt like this for his daugther was enraged and this isssue was carried in Punch Newspaper then
How many of these are actually the women choices? It's all about well I trust this person that convince me about what God wants of me... (my version) and fitting in into what someone else want of us.
Some cases that i know of, the women weren't told the will cover all until after marriage and they can't fight this issue
lol@ afronuts
ReplyDeleteThere are so many ways to look at this Hijab thing.... It is uncomfortable and unnecessary but the religious leaders (who are men) are determined to make women think that their beauty leads to sin and therefore is shameful. its ridiculous! Its not just the muslims... what about deeper life bible church..? i see those women in thier ugly rags and i want to puke, meanwhile the guys dress normally and its okay with everybody.
ReplyDeleteI believe every woman should be able to dress according to her own beliefs and her consciense. i refuse to believe that my beauty should be covered up, or that it is the cause of sin... beauty in all forms should be admired. men should try to learn how to admire without desiring to possess. So those religious leaders who try to blame it all on women can just go ahead and KMA.
That being said, while i was in school there was this muslim girl who was always in her hijab with just her face showing. She was really pretty and since i knew her in the hostel too i knew how beautiful she really was, Great body, Great legs. One evening I was trying to get a bus when i saw her and one of her friends - also hijabbed- walking towards the hostel. The breeze was blowing softly and it played gently with their clothes (the hijabs weren't black, they were pretty light colours) they looked so beautiful. Maybe i just think this because i'm a girl but those girl in their flowing hijabs have been the most beautifully clothed girls I have seen till this day.